Support for All the Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islanders

March 19, 2021

Dear Postdocs,

We express our support as SURPAS for all the Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islanders who are affected by historical and continued systemic racism, oppression, and aggression. The recent tragic events in Atlanta are part of a disturbing rise in violence and discrimination towards Asian communities that sadden and anger us. As members of the postdoctoral community, we stand in solidarity with all communities of color against racism in all its forms. We recognize the pain and frustration the violence against the Asian community has caused, and we want you to know that you are not alone.

Racism is a deeply seeded issue in our society. So many of us experience multiple racial injustices and have experienced them for years. We have to be cognizant of these experiences and aware of the role we play. SURPAS will continue to provide an inclusive environment for all. As members of the postdoctoral community, we are actively and openly opposed to biases in all forms – those rooted in race, skin color, ethnicity, religious affiliation, economic status, gender, sexuality, political status, ability and medical/health status.

We commit to redoubling our efforts to use our intellectual resources to participate in a much-needed and long-overdue period of listening and learning from one another. We will be holding a listening session for the AAPI community during our March 31st SURPAS Council Meeting for voicing concerns or messages of support. We will also be focusing our next ‘Someone Like Me’ Mentoring session on supporting the AAPI community. See the upcoming events section of our website<http://www.surpas.org/> for further information on joining these events.

You can reach out to SURPAS here<http://www.surpas.org/contact-us> or through our slack channel<https://join.slack.com/t/generalsurpaschat/shared_invite/zt-7qh4bmj9-8n5r9aCu5Lf3yFnJb0RfVg> for support. There are also several support services on campus through the Office of Graduate Education listed below.

Care and Healing

• Stanford Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) and the School of Medicine Mental Health Team offer crisis counseling for urgent needs. CAPS FAQ<https://vaden.stanford.edu/caps> – Appointments are available. Clinicians are always on call, even after hours, at (650) 723-3785.

• Other campus resources include: Well-Being @ Stanford<https://stanford.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f9e762ad603f119b5c23ff0ec&id=d135d3b338&e=d452fda27b>, Bridge Peer Counseling<https://stanford.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f9e762ad603f119b5c23ff0ec&id=c1f90eab4b&e=d452fda27b>,  Office for Religious and Spiritual Life<https://stanford.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f9e762ad603f119b5c23ff0ec&id=c4be650618&e=d452fda27b>, Graduate Life Office<https://glo.stanford.edu/>, and the Office of the Dean of Students<https://deanofstudents.stanford.edu/who-we-are>.

• Off-campus Support: APISSA Therapist Directory from Asian Mental Health Collective<https://stanford.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f9e762ad603f119b5c23ff0ec&id=0f73c4c3e1&e=d452fda27b>

• Online: 13 Mental Health & Wellness Resources For Asian-American Communities<https://stanford.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f9e762ad603f119b5c23ff0ec&id=d90fc722b3&e=d452fda27b>.

Education and Reporting

• Stanford Student Affairs<https://studentaffairs.stanford.edu/aapi-harassment> has compiled resources on Harassment & Hate Towards Asians, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders during COVID-19<https://studentaffairs.stanford.edu/aapi-harassment>, including how to report harassment or a hate crime on-campus and nationally.

• The Asian American Justice Center (AAJC) has compiled COVID-19 resources to stand against racism<https://advancingjustice-aajc.org/covid19>.

  If you or someone you know experiences an anti-Asian attack, report it:

  • On-campus:  Acts of Intolerance<https://deanofstudents.stanford.edu/acts-intolerance-protocol>

  • Off-campus: stopaapihate.org<https://stopaapihate.org/>

  • Identify and understand the characteristics of white supremacy culture<https://www.showingupforracialjustice.org/white-supremacy-culture-characteristics.html>.

Additional Security Steps

• Donate to the Oakland Chinatown Ambassador & Victims Fund<https://www.classy.org/give/326018/#!/donation/checkout> for people impacted by recent attacks<https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2021/02/05/asian-celebrities-offer-25000-reward-for-info-in-oakland-chinatown-attacks/>.

• Volunteer to be a chaperone for elderly<https://compassioninoakland.org/> Asian people or be a part of a community stroll patrol<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf9K0k3bjmcQC4GZtfKg-9syZTAPTAWnzAetZpb5yiZWWR1rA/viewform> in Oakland.

• Review this list of 61 Ways to Donate in Support of Asian Communities<https://nymag.com/strategist/amp/article/where-to-donate-to-help-asian-communities-2021.html?__twitter_impression=true>.

• Attend the “Stand Up for Asians” AAPI Solidarity #JusticeForVicha Rally<https://www.facebook.com/events/141987584470816/> on 3/22/21 – 850 Bryant St. San Francisco – 8:30a – Noon.

• Attend this screening of “Boogie”<https://focusfeaturesscreenings.com/main/movie_landing/Qm9vZ2llQWxsaWVk> on 3/25, 7 PM.